chargrilled zucchini hummus

I love zucchini and I love hummus so this combo made total sense. I’ve made so many types of hummus before including butternut, beetroot, pea & mint, and even pizza flavoured but this char grilled zucchini rendition might just be my new fave. I also discovered that Ottolenghi’s famous hummus is the best recipe if you are looking for a classic version and using dried chickpeas which you soak and then cook yourself is the better way to go. However who always has time to think ahead and plan to do this? Definitely not me. There is no shame in reaching for a can of chickpeas in your cupboard and whipping up a healthy and delicious snack right away.

I chargrilled the zucchini because I wanted to get the smoky flavour, but you could just roast them off or even pan fry. I used cilantro (coriander) as the herb here because it works well with the earthy flavours and I also simply love it. Hummus is one of those things that you can easily customise to your own taste preferences by adding more of any of the elements. Tahini is a must as is lemon juice to give it a zesty wake-up call. I added a couple of teaspoons of harissa paste to liven it up with a dash of heat. I am very conservative with chilli and love it to be around but I don’t like it to take over the flavour party. You could add any chilli sauce of your choice or dried chilli flakes. I added a small amount of garlic because I find raw garlic quite abrasive but if you are a fan, just add more.

Toasted pita crisps are my fave way to scoop up hummus and so easy to make. I brush the halved slices of pita’s generously with olive oil before cutting them into triangles and then roasting them in the oven for around 8 – 10 minutes at 200C / 400F.

2 tsp harissa paste (sub with a pinch of chilli or other chilli sauce) optional

Salt & pepper

Instructions

Heat a griddle pan to hot and preheat the oven to 200C / 400 F. Trim and halve the zucchini lengthways and brush lightly with olive oil. Fry on each side until they have taken on char colour. Place them in a pan and roast in the oven for 10 minutes. Allow to cool slightly or totally (you could do this part in advance).

In a food processor add all the ingredients and process until it is a fairly smooth consistency. Adjust seasoning (it needs quite a lot of salt). Cool the finished hummus in the fridge to firm up.

By Sam Linsell

Drizzle and Dip http://drizzleanddip.com/

Garnish with a drizzle of olive oil, chopped cilantro/coriander and a sprinkle of chopped nuts like roasted cashews. Pine nuts would also be amazing to add texture.